Highest quality as usual
Across
2 Ability to prosecute child curtailed by nasty fight about end of case
INFANGTHIEF right to arrest INFAN[t] (child curtailed) [cas]E in (FIGHT)*
10 Business executive heading off to secure new business group UNIT group
N (new) in [s]UIT
11 Recipe used in meals is a monstrosity TERAS monstrosity (biology)
R (recipe) in TEAS (meals)
13 One zealot restricting power supply INPUT power supply
P (power) in I NUT (one zealot)
14 100% in exam? That’s least credible TALLEST least credible
ALL (100%) in TEST (exam)
15 Igneous rock – one cracks some in story LIPARITE rhyolite
I in PART (some) all in LIE (story)
17 Number in French company backing American theatre CINEMA theatre
N (number) in CIE (compagnie Fr) AM< (American backing)
18 Removed basis of discrimination – worried after return – ideal is besmirched
DERACIALISED divest of racism CARED (worried returned) (IDEAL IS)*
20 Calmly nursing muscle, showing due consideration RESPECTFULLY
PEC (muscle) in RESTFULLY (calmly)
22 Lot of damage given to a block of old apartments INSULA Roman buildings
INSUL[t] (lot of damage) A
26 Mistakenly cite this expert in morals ETHICIST (CITE THIS)*
27 Well done backing a German girl EUGENIE girl
EUGE (well done – Greek) EIN< (a German backing)
28 Summer morning is recalled? Little good in that SIGMA (symbol in maths used to indicate summation)
G (good) in (IS AM)< (is morning recalled)
29 Rope twirling display getting cheers RIATA lariat
AIR< (display twirling) TA (cheers)
30 Wide straight edge WHET edge W (wide) HET (straight – heterosexual)
31 Piece of poultry cut – children backing one of their number to tuck in
PARSON’S NOSE (poultry part) SONS (children) SON< (child backing) in PARE (cut)
Down
1 Shudder to receive doctor attending ailing writer QUILLDRIVER writer
ILL (ailing) DR (doctor) in QUIVER (shudder)
2 Inarticulate query: ‘Pub has vermouth?’ INNIT isn’t it
INN (pub) IT (vermouth – gin and …)
3 Cuffs children NIPPERS dd
4 A guy in America goes round the river in an amphibious vehicle AMTRAC
T (the) R (river) in A MAC (a guy in America) in Chambers the amphibious vehicle is AMTRACK
5 Not one story about a message NOTIFICATION message
NOT I (one) A in FICTION (story)
6 Birds change and start flying round Cape GNATCATCHERS birds
C (cape) in (CHANGE START)*
7 He will seize nut plant HELENIUM plant EN (nut – printing unit) in HELIUM (He)
8 Girl not formerly elevated in passion IRENE girl
NE< (not formally elevated) in IRE (passion)
9 Simple question to escape from rough? EASY simple
QUEASY rough minus QU (question)
12 Cosmological theory? Foremost of scientists, with a will, accepting day wrangling
STEADY STATE (theory formulated in 1948 by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle – Hermann was the husband of my maths teacher in Reigate, Surrey)
S[cientists] (DAY)* in TESTATE (with a will)
16 Theatrical family turned up in ruined castle CAPULETS Romeo and Juliet
UP< (turned up) in (CASTLE)*
19 No time for tricks in snow vehicles SLEIGHS
T (time) from SLEIGHTS (tricks)
21 Number of climbs limiting one’s vitality FOISON vitality
IS (ones) NO OF< (number of climbs)
23 Money – banknote American picked up SUGAR money
RAG (banknote) US< (picked up)
24 Woman seems easily upset? Not entirely ESMEE woman
hidden backwards in [s]EEMS E[asily]
25 Extinct bird, rodent eliminating it HUIA NZ bird HUTIA (rodent) minus T (it)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition < = reverse
This was, as usual, a lovely puzzle – and/but I felt it was slightly easier than most weeks.
I was glad to have an Oxford Dictionary of English as it had ‘Amtrac’ (answer to 4 D.).